What-nots from a mother who'd like to think she's cool when she most probably is not.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

And That's How Toy Story 3 Rolled!

No surprises here --Pixar did it again.

I kinda feel bad for doubting it would right after the beauty that was Shrek 3. But as I should have expected, Toy Story 3 rocked 10 times better than the green ogre's third movie installment. And I'm realizing why.

I'm not taking it back that Dreamworks has got their game on --they definitely have and they're doing fab. But there's one thing that Pixar has that Dreamworks can't seem to get a hold of, that one thing that makes the characters of Toy Story more lovable and personal than the characters of Shrek. Insight.

Think about it. While it is a beautiful wonder to follow the mishaps of an ogre and his kin, kids relate better to adventure-seeking toys. Because that's how they play. It touches a personal part of a child (and of adults who used to be children, duh!) when they see something that they can ultimately relate to. That's insight. Knowing exactly what heart strings to tug at. Knowing exactly what your audience can put their finger and feelings on. That's how Pixar did it. And that's how Toy Story 3 rolled!

One other thing I like about Toy Story 3 is that it went full circle. It didn't change plot. It still stuck to Andy and his relationship with his cowboy doll and the cowboy doll's relationship with the spaceman, the cowgirl, the stretchy dog, the potato heads, the dinosaur and the little green men. It built up on that reality. And that's what makes it more endearing and believable. It didn't feel like a one-off, new story carrying the same title with a number 3 pasted at the end. It felt like an ongoing story with a conclusion you've always known was coming and would be darn stupid to miss.

There were tear-jerking parts of the movie, too. I could've sworn catching some people dabbing their eyes in the cinema at one time or another. If that isn't a personal connection, then I don't know what is.

With Shrek 3, you come out of the movie house feeling the exhiliration of another fantasy. With Toy Story 3, you come out of the movie house feeling you've just reconnected with an old friend who has made your heart thump a little faster ...for the third time.